Alone again
by ninjawriter2
Summary: Phantom was a loner ghost, no friends, no obsession. That is, until he merged with Danny. But after the events of TUE and the GIW experiments, Phantom is once again alone. When Clockwork sends him to an alternate earth, will he be able to find his place?(UP FOR ADOPTION. PLEASE PM ME IF YOU'RE INTERESTED)
1. Chapter 1

ALONE AGAIN

Chapter 1: A new start  
Danny lay on the floor of his cell, quietly crying. Even after a year with the GIW, the memory of his families deaths was still fresh. Everything reminded him of them. He had flashbacks constantly, triggered by seemingly random things. The pain was so bad, it was like an open wound. And thanks to the anklet keeping his healing powers from working, he knew what that felt like.  
'I miss them too. I promise Danny, I'll never turn into him.' Phantoms  
voice said quietly in his head. Danny sighed. 'Thanks Phantom.'  
The door opened and light flooded the room, outlining the tall agents sent to fetch him. Danny felt dread swell up inside him. What horrors would he be subjected to today?  
The agents entered and yanked him roughly to his feet.  
"Hey ghost kid,"one hissed,"we're doing something new today." He grabbed Danny's chin and forced his face upward. "Soon, you won't need to worry about anything at all."  
Danny's eyes widened. He couldn't mean-he was far too valuable. And yet...  
'He's just trying to scare you.' Phantom insisted. Danny wished he could believe him.  
The agents dragged him toward the all too familiar lab. Despite his weakness, Danny struggled. The agent to Danny's left grunted. "He's a rowdy little guy, isn't he?" The other agent growled. "Unfortunately, yes."  
Despite all his struggles, he was soon strapped to the examination table he had come to know so well. He squeezed his eyes shut. Could this be it? After all he'd been through, would this be the day it all ended?  
"Ah, hello Daniel. How lovely to see you." Danny opened his eyes to see Dr. Kert Azy. Danny just called him Krazy.  
"Still not talking? Oh well, I suppose it is hard to talk if your living off a cup of water a day." Danny bristled, and chocked,"Just get on with it." He winced. His voice sounded worse than Tucker's singing. Tucker...  
Krazy feigned surprise. "My subject lives! Although you won't soon." He saw Danny's expression and laughed. "Oh, I see you've figured it out."  
"But-but you need me!" Danny stuttered, unable to disguise the fear in his voice. Krazy laughed,"We need some tissue samples, a few pints of your blood, and your ghost half. But we don't need you, per say." Danny's eyes narrowed, "What do you want with Phantom?"  
"You care about it, how sweet." Krazy smiled, walking to the other side of the room. "You see, even though we're barely giving you any food, we're currently suffering major budget cuts. So we came up with a simple solution." He came back with a tray of painful looking tools. "If we can successfully separate you and it, we won't need to worry about feeding you anymore." Danny tried to squirm away from him, but the restraints held him fast.  
Krazy took a pair of scissors and snipped off his once white T-shirt. "It's nothing personal. We just don't want to worry about your needs anymore." He tore through the flimsy stitches keeping Danny's Y cut closed, and Danny clamped his mouth shut, refusing to let this sick man know how much it hurt.  
"It's a fairly simple process. I just take this knife," he held up a short scalpel,"and stab your ghost core in just the right place..." He stabbed down.  
The pain surged through him like so many volts of electricity, worse than any pain he had ever felt in his entire life. It was worse than when Vlad tried to force him to morph, worse than when the GIW tested his tolerance to heat, worse than when he became half ghost.  
Krazy flipped a switch, and volts of electricity really did course through him. Danny could hold his cries of pain back no longer, and screamed loudly. Krazy smiled a cruel smile, watching him suffer for a moment, then took a long, glowing hook from the tray. With a triumphant smirk and no small amount of flare, he jammed the hook down Danny's throat. Danny squirmed, but Krazy kept moving the hook around. After a minute, he found what he was looking for and yanked it out.  
Phantom came off the hook and hit the floor with a meaty smack. He looked awful. He was covered in blood and ectoplasm, and it made his hair stick out at strange angles. He was bleeding from all sorts of open wounds, all of them matching Danny's perfectly, including the Y-cut. Despite all this, he managed to lift his head and croak, "Danny?" His eyes widened when he saw the still form. "DANNY!"

Phantom woke with a start, his core thrumming. He thought back on his dream and immediately curled into a ball, tears running down his face. It had been four months since they had killed him, four months since they'd ripped him from his human half and watched as Danny died. He could remember when he had merged with Danny. He had been a lonely ghost with no reason to exist, floating around in a depressed state that would have made Spectra forever young. Then he had seen him in the half formed portal, screaming in pain. He had flown in, trying to do something, anything to help the poor teen in the portal.  
He hadn't expected to become half human that day. He hadn't expected to wake up with no control of his body, to be a passenger as Danny used his powers to fight the evil ghosts that came through the newly formed portal. But that's what happened, and Phantom wouldn't have had it any other way. They had formed a bond closer than brothers, with Phantom helping Danny with personal issues and Danny using his powers for the greater good. They had been inseparable, one being.  
Until the GIW killed him.  
Phantom remembered his screams, his glassy eyes as he slumped down, dead. After Danny died, everything became blurred. He had barely registered that four months had gone by. He vaguely remembered more experiments, more pain, but until the escape there wasn't much.  
The escape. Thinking of it, Phantom had to smile. It had been ingenious. Amorpho had snuck in and pretended to escape as him. While all the guards were distracted, Ember, Skulker, and Technes broke in and found the real him. After everyone got outside, Wulf had opened a portal to the ghost zone and they were home free. Phantom was currently staying with Clockwork.  
Phantom sat up and walked across the room. He fumbled around until he found what he wanted-his sketchpad. Flopping down on his bed, he wiped away his tears and began to draw. The drawing pad was a gift from Ghost Writer, and it was helping Phantom with his grief. Whenever he felt like his life-afterlife wasn't worth it, or he was crying himself silly, he could find peace with his paper and pencils. Spectra told him everyone dealt with loss differently. Some people pulled into themselves, some lashed out at anyone they could blame, some people worked harder than ever before. He drew. He drew memories, friends, objects of meaning, the way things could have gone differently. It was how he dealt with things. He decided to draw Wulf and Danny. He was just adding the finishing touches when he glanced at the clock. His eyes widened. It was that close?  
He packed his satchel with his sketchbook and pencils, the I-pod and headphones Ember had given him, the Box ghosts box charm, the Lunch ladies goodie bag, and the Fenton thermos.  
He walked downstairs, stopping at the bathroom to grab his toothbrush and pain medicine. Even though his power inhibiting anklet had been removed, Clockwork told him it could be as long as a year before his healing powers fully returned.  
He paused in front of the mirror, examining himself. He had changed his getup since arriving at Clockworks. He wore dark jeans and a gray long sleeve, with white sneakers. He also wore a black hoodie, which he kept unzipped most of the time, and his satchel was gray with black accents. His face hadn't had many changes, except for a pale scar above his left eye. His hair was still white as snow, and he kept it the same messy style Danny had liked. The neon of his eyes had faded so they only glowed when he was angry. His right leg was twisted outward ever so slightly, but the limp was so subtle you didn't notice unless you looked very closely. If he walked down the street in Amity park, he couldn't say if people would know him or not.  
He shook himself from his musings. He wouldn't need to worry about being recognized where he was going.  
He hurried down the stairs, where he found baby Clockwork calmly winding his staff. "I was beginning to think you had forgotten."  
Phantom rolled his eyes,"Yeah right. You knew what I was doing up there the whole time."  
The keeper of time smirked, showing his buck teeth."I also know that you're ready to go." A few days previously, Danny had asked to crossover to a parallel dimension. He figured he could start a new life, away from the his past and his pain. "Yeah, I'm ready."  
Clockwork, now middle aged, waved his staff and a rainbow colored portal swirled into existence. "This will take you to the dimension I have chosen for you. Remember to only take your pain medicine after you eat. It would also be wise if you avoided direct blows to the chest until you are fully healed." Phantom just nodded, not telling Clockwork that he was acting like a worried parent, and stepped forward. Just before he went through it, he turned to the Time Lord. "Thanks for everything, Clockwork." Then he stepped through the portal and was gone.  
Clockwork watched for a moment, then closed the portal with another wave of his staff. He reflected upon Phantoms decision. He had been reluctant at first to allow him to leave, but after looking into his possible futures, he had agreed that it would be best for him. His futures in this dimension had not been pleasant.  
Clockwork floated over to his time screens, shifting into an old man as he went. With a wave of his staff, he opened a screen to Phantoms new home. He wondered which route time would take.

-Line break-

When Phantom came out of the portal, he didn't expect to step on someone's face.  
He and said person fell into a heap on the floor. A hand reached for him, and he automatically lashed out with his fist, sending the person flying across the room and through a wall. He stood up and looked at the new hole in the wall. "Uh." His super hearing picked up voices to his left, and he whipped around.  
Facing him was the strangest group of beings he had ever seen, and that was saying something. A green man with a blue cape, a black man glowing green, and a hot woman in an American themed swimsuit were floating in the air. On the ground below them was a woman with a mace in her hand and wings on her back, a man in a black suit and cape with a fancy utility belt, and a man in a red jumpsuit with yellow lightning bolts on his head.  
"Where did this guy come from?" The man with the lightning bolts said.  
"Who cares? He just knocked Superman through a wall." The girl in the swimsuit lunged forward.  
"Wait-" Phantom started, but her fist slammed into his chest and he went flying.  
He flew straight and true, slamming through a wall before slumping down, seeing stars. He felt something on his chest, and when he pulled his hand off, it was green and sticky. It would also be wise if you avoided direct blows to the chest until you fully recover. Oops.  
He looked up to see the group of people staring at him, or more specifically, the ectoplasm leaking from his chest. He got up and flew as fast as he could, trying to get away. He didn't know who they were, but he wasn't strong enough for a serious fight. He flew faster than he had in over a year-  
And promptly ran into a brick wall. He dropped several feet before regaining his senses and stabilizing. When he looked up, he realized what he had run into wasn't a brick wall; it was a man in a blue and red suit, with a large S on his chest. Oh, he thought, this must be Superman.  
"Superman" tried to grab him, but he ducked out of the way. Thinking quickly, Phantom grabbed his cape and spun him around, throwing him into the ground. Then he flew off, ignoring the others calls to stop. He phased into a nearby warehouse and slumped against the wall. He looked down and was shocked by the amount of ectoplasm on his shirt. He was bleeding a lot worse than he had originally thought. In fact, he was feeling a little faint...  
Phantom slumped to the floor, his last thought being of how crappy this dimension was.

-Line break-

Green Lantern was, in a word, pissed. He and Batman had just gotten back from an extremely complicated time traveling mission, and he had been looking forward to some relaxation. But then, just when he was getting things straight in his head, J'onn got a call requesting-no, demanding the original seven members of the Justice league to meet them at the warehouse docks to pick up a "special package". Even though he had thought it was a prank, the others had insisted on going. And guess what? A portal appeared, Superman got thrown through a wall, Diana punched some random kid through a wall, that kid started bleeding some sort of green liquid, and Superman got smashed into the street.  
"Terrific! Just great!" He yelled, his anger causing his voice to rise. He rounded on Diana,"Did you need to punch him?"  
"I didn't know he had been previously injured." Wonder Woman tried to defend, but was cut off by Batman.  
"This is no time to point fingers. We need to find him. J'onn, could you do a telepathic sweep?"  
J'onn shook his head. "While he was here, I attempted to enter his mind, but could not."  
"Wait," Flash said,"His mental shields were strong enough to keep J'onn out? Who could do that?"  
Superman stood up, brushing himself off. "Well, whoever he is, he couldn't have gone far. Lets spread out and find him."  
Green Lantern flew off, still steaming slightly. He entered a warehouse, using his ring to light his way. "Kid? Are you there?" He turned a corner, still searching. "I promise not to hurt you-" he saw a slumped form on the floor. Flying over, he saw the boy had lost consciousness. He picked him up as gently as he could. He turned on his com link, "Guys, I got him."

-Line break-

As J'onn exited the medical wing, he was mobbed by curious heroes.  
"Who was that J'onn?"  
"Where did he come from?"  
"Is he going to be okay?"  
"Was he the special package?"  
"QUIET!" Silence instantly reigned supreme. No one wanted to tic off Martian Manhunter.  
"All your questions will be answered in due time. Until then, return to your normal duties." The heroes slowly dispersed, muttering once they thought that J'onn couldn't hear. The Martian called,"Kara?" Supergirl turned. J'onn motioned her over. "I need you to watch our guest." Supergirl groaned and he added,"Do it or you're The Questions personal assistant for a month." Kara gulped and nodded.  
J'onn flew up and phased through the ceiling into the conference room, coming up behind Shayera.  
"I've treated him as best I can-" Shayera visibly jumped, turning with her mace raised. She stopped it two inches from J'onns face. She slowly lowered it,"Someday somebodies going to knock your head off."  
J'onn stood, unblinking. "As I was saying, I've done my best to treat him. But I still have no idea who, or what, he is."  
The others looked at each other. Finally Batman spoke, "Maybe we'll find some answers in this." He held up a gray and black satchel. He dumped its contents onto the table.  
Everyone stared at the strange assortment of items before them. Flash picked up what looked like a fancy soup thermos. He opened it,"Hey, there isn't any soup in here!" Batman glared and he quickly added,"I mean, why have a soup thermos when there's no soup in it?"  
Diana picked up a charm. It resembled a closed cardboard box. "I wonder what this is for." She asked, feeling it with her fingers.  
Shayera shrugged, picking up a small leather bag. "Who knows? Maybe-" She stopped as she tipped the bag upside down and a dozen peanut butter cookies fell out. Her mouth dropped open, and Flash started to salivate. The combined glares of Batman and J'onn were all that kept him from stuffing his face.  
After a minute, Green Lantern said,"Well, our kids got some weird stuff." He picked up an I-pod and scrolled through the playlist,"He does have good taste in music."  
Batman picked up a small orange bottle. "Looks like he takes pain medicine." He studied it for a moment,"Doesn't say where he got it."  
"Maybe this can give us some answers." Shayera held up a reddish brown book.  
If anyone had entered the room at that moment, they would have a hard time not laughing at how earths greatest heroes crowded around Shayera to get a peek at the book. Only Batman managed to look dignified.  
Shayera opened the book, and tucked between the first page and the cover was a handwritten note. Diana took it out and read it aloud.

Dear Phantom,  
I hope you will not disregard this message as mere words, but understand it for what it is-a plea for forgiveness. I am sorry to be so uptight, especially concerning my books. I can not pretend I understand what your through, since I never had any close relatives in life. Clockwork has told me that you enjoy drawing, so please accept this sketchpad as a plea for forgiveness regarding what happened at Christmas. Hopefully it will be able to help you with your grief as well.  
(Hopefully) Your friend,  
Ghostwriter  
P.S. If you're wondering why I'm not rhyming, Dora translated for me.

The heroes looked at each other, confused. Who were Clockwork and Ghostwriter?  
Green Lantern spoke,"Well, at least our mystery boy has a name."  
"But who's Ghostwriter? And what did this "Phantom" go through?" Superman asked.  
"And what did he mean by "translated"?" J'onn persisted.  
Batman shook his head. "I guess we just keep looking."  
Everyone crowded around again as Shayera turned the page.  
The first drawing depicted the teen in a black and white hazmat suit hanging by his neck from a tree. His eyes were open to reveal empty black sockets, and under the tree was a single word-Why?  
Shayeras hands tightened on the book as they stared at the picture. With a shaky breath, she turned the page.  
The next showed Phantom standing on the edge of a building, with one foot hanging over the edge. Above his head was the word-Goodbye.  
Shayera took a deep breath, gently setting the book on the table. Green Lantern looked at her with concern. "Are you alright?" She nodded,"I just...need a second."  
"I can take it if you want." He offered.  
Shayera shook her head. "I can handle it." She picked up the book again, making sure her hands didn't shake.  
The next several minutes weren't much better. All of the pictures were tragic and violent, with many being suicidal. Shayera had to stop every couple pictures, and no one could really blame her.  
Finally Flash said,"Look, I don't know about you guys, but all this is doing is depressing me. Maybe we should just ask him who he is."  
"Wait." Batman pointed at the book. "It's divided into sections."  
Shayera looked more closely. "Yeah. Let's see, we're in 'Before therapy'."  
"Maybe 'After therapy' will be less suicidal." Superman suggested. With a nod, Shayera turned to the section.  
The first picture was of a person. At least, sort of like a person. It was a young man with a scar over his left eye. His chest was a pane of glass, showing mechanics similar to a grandfather clock. He wore a purple cloak with a gear clasp, with black gloves and a belt with stopwatches on them. In his hand was a staff with a clock perched on the top, and he didn't appear to have legs. He had a smirk on his face, a look that said 'I know something you don't. ' at the bottom was a quote reading, "Everything is the way it's supposed to be." ~Clockwork On either side of the picture was an older and a younger version of the man.  
"So...his name is Clockwork?" Flash asked.  
Before they could look further, the book was suddenly surrounded by a bright green light. After a moment, it disappeared in a flash of light. As they watched, the other objects vanished in the same manner.  
J'onn spoke,"I believe our patient is awake."


	2. Chapter 2

**Wow... wasn't expecting this big of a response. Thanks a bunch! Anyway, I made a change. Phantom's limp is actually going to be very noticeable when he walks. Sorry this chapter is really short. I had to get the awkward, Phantom-meets-the-Justice-league-and-he-explains-himself part out of the way. Still not completely satisfied with it. I will also try to update at least once a month. Hope you like it more than I do, please tell me what you think.**

Chapter 2: Explanation

Phantom focused harder,"Come on-"  
With a flash, his sketchbook and pencils fell into his lap. He glanced up to see his female guard trying to look uninterested. She was failing miserably, getting up on her toes to look through the tiny hospital window.  
He hid a grin behind his sketchpad, trying not to laugh at her face as he made his other items appear on his dresser. He had a special connection with the things he kept in his satchel. All he had to do was think about them, and they'd appear. Pretty handy since he was seriously prone to losing things.  
Phantom's smile soon disappeared as he looked through his stuff. Things were out of place. His pencils were out of their box, the Goodie bag was slightly open-  
He shrugged it off. If this was going to be his new home, he'd need to get used to people rooting around in his things. With a sigh, he opened his sketch pad to a fresh page. He frowned again. What was he going to draw? He could draw the girl that kept peeking through his hospital window, but he wasn't sure she'd approve. Besides, he liked drawing things he was familiar with. He turned back a page, and realized something.  
"Hmm...", he muttered,"I never did finish coloring my last drawing, did I?" Shrugging, he pulled out his pencils and started shading. But he hadn't been coloring for more than five minutes when the door opened. The strange group of people he'd seen walked in. He closed his sketch pad and put his pencils back in the box. Then he crossed his legs, propped his head up with his elbows, and waited for them to say anything.  
And waited.  
They had all been staring at him for awhile, and he was starting to get uncomfortable. "Finished looking?" He finally said. Phantom hated being stared at, especially by people he didn't know.  
His words seemed to break the spell. The man with lightning bolts on his head spoke, but what he said made no sense. "Peanut butter cookies are my favorite, don't you think?"  
Phantom just looked at him, brows furrowing. "Huh?" He sounded really, really lost, even to himself.  
"Yep, Peanut butter are definitely my favorite. I'm really craving them..." He trailed off, giving Phantom a beaming smile.  
"Again," Phantom said,"huh?"  
"What Flash is trying to say," the black man interrupted, "is that we need an explanation."  
Trying not to think that lightning man might be off his rocker, Phantom answered, "Oh, okay. Where do you want me to start?"  
"Who are you, and why are you here?" Utility belt man asked. Phantom noted, with some amusement, that he had spikes on his head that looked suspiciously like ears. Good grief, was he in a nuthouse?  
"Well, my name is Phantom, but I 'm sure you already know that."

-Time skip-

"So you're telling us that you come from another dimension? And you came here because you got tired of your dimension? And you just happen to be a ghost." Lightning man-Phantom now knew him as Flash-said.  
"If you want to putting very, very simply, yes." Phantom responded. "There were just too many memories."  
"Good or bad?" Shayera asked.  
"Both." Phantom felt a little bad. He hadn't told them the complete truth. He'd left out the part where all of his friends and second family had died, and he hadn't mentioned Danny at all. He thought that maybe he would tell them, someday, but it was still too painful for him to talk about with just anyone. But he hadn't told an outright lie since he'd gotten there.  
"Now that we've been introduced, will you explain the things in your satchel?" Superman asked.  
Phantom grinned. "Gladly."  
Soon, everything was laid out on his lap. Everyone leaned forward, eager to see. Even Batman looked passive about seeing the stuff-which Phantom considered a major victory.  
He held up the Fenton thermos. "This is the Fenton thermos. It's used to trap ghosts. I'm guessing you've already seen my sketch pad, so I won't go into that." He set those down and continued, "This I-pod and headphones were a gift from my rock star friend Ember. It analyses your likes and emotions to play the music that best matches your mood. This charm is from my friend The Box Ghost-"  
"Wait." Flash interrupted. "His name is "The Box Ghost"?"  
Phantom laughed a little. "Well, his official name is Crate creep, but no one calls him that. Anyway, if I smash this charm, he'll come."  
"He can travel through dimensions?" J'onn asked.  
Phantom looked serious. "We have no clue how he does it, but The Box Ghost can appear anywhere he wants, no matter what. This is my goodie bag. It produces any baked good that I want."  
"Any baked good?" Flash asked, a skeptic tone to his voice.  
"Yep." Even though he hadn't actually been the one to make the goodie bag, he was kind of proud that he was the one who owned it. "But anyway, I think that's all I need to explain."  
The heroes looked at each other. Finally, Green Lantern said,"We need to talk this over." He and the others headed for the door. Just before they left, Shayera turned and said,"You'll be okay, won't you?"  
"Of course." Phantom answered with a grin.

-Line break-

Phantom had been lying. He was so nervous, a layer of frost had started to form on the sheets. They had told him about their group of heroes-the Justice league. Despite it being as corny as one of Tucker's pickup lines, he really, really wanted to be a hero again. He knew that even if they kicked him out, he'd still go out and save people.  
The door opened, and Superman and Wonder Woman came in. Phantom waited, trying really hard not to freeze the mattress.  
"We've made our decision." Superman said. "You can stay."  
Phantom almost cheered, but he ended up just saying,"Sweet!"  
"We'd also like to invite you to join the Justice league." Wonder Woman added.  
"HECK YES!" Phantom blurted before he could stop himself. A green hue came to his face as he quickly said,"I mean, yeah, I'd like that." His blush deepened.  
If Superman thought his outburst was unusual, he hid it well. "Of course, we won't send you on missions until you're fully healed."  
"I'm comfortable with that."  
"We won't place a guard at your door, but we're going to move you to a different room so you don't get unwanted visitors. Is it alright if we tell everyone your story so they're not in the dark?" He continued.  
"Sure." Phantom said. As Superman and Wonder Woman continued to tell him the details, Phantom couldn't help but think that he had been wrong. This dimension wasn't crappy-it was perfect.


	3. Chapter 3

**Okay, I know it was a bit of a longer wait, but I am satisfied with this chapter! Mind you, it was extremely hard to write. I know it's kind of unrealistic that it was a week before this took place, but I don't care, I'm making it that way. Enjoy! **

Chapter 3: The Cat and the Canary  
Phantom sat on his hospital bed, staring intently at the clock. His eyes narrowed a fraction, his pupils following the second hand as it slowly ticked.  
The minute hand moved.  
"Uuuugh!" Phantom groaned, flopping onto the bed. He was so bored! It had only been a week since he had gotten here, and he had already run out of things to draw. He wanted to quit drawing so much of what had happened and start drawing what was happening. There was also this new style he wanted to try. Just one problem-nothing was happening! He glanced at the clock again.  
7:33 pm.  
"Come on Phantom, think outside the box." He muttered. There must be something he could draw. Or...maybe he didn't need to draw. Grinning, he formed an ice crystal in his hand and began shaping it. He had gotten much more finesse since discovering them, and he easily wove the delicate strands to his will. He carefully shaped it into a person he had come to know well. He painstakingly scratched texture into the figurine, adding tiny details that only skilled crafters would have picked out. He added the eyes last, putting as much feeling and depth into them as he could manage. He looked at the finished piece with pride. Standing in his palm, looking very regal, was a mini Frostbite. Phantom was pleasantly surprised that it had turned out so well. He glanced at the clock once more.  
7:37 pm.  
"Seriously!?" He muttered, setting the figure on his nightstand. He sighed, standing up. He was shocked that it had only taken him four minutes to make the mini Frostbite. It had felt like forever. He glared at the little figure. Just sitting there. Mocking him.  
He crossed the room, stopping to stare at the closed door for a minute. There were probably some pretty interesting rooms out there...  
"Now Phantom." He scolded himself. "You really shouldn't leave." Superman had told him that it would be a good idea if only a few people saw him at a time, and waltzing out in the open was a pretty good way to attract attention. "I really shouldn't disobey him..."  
Phantom turned his back to the door and tried to forget about it. But then he slowly turned his head. He phased through the door, staying invisible as he began to float down the hallway. "Just for a minute." He assured himself. "Then I'll go right back."

-Time skip-

Phantom had flown around the ship about three times now. He would look in a room if he heard something interesting, but so far nothing had caught his attention.  
"I am talking about sparring." A woman's voice said as he passed the room.  
"That'd be nice too." Curious, Phantom poked his head in, staying invisible.  
There were two people inside what looked like a training room. A woman with long, thick blond hair was in what looked to Phantom like a black swimsuit. Was that all female superheroes wore here? Swimsuits? There was also a blonde man with a mustache and goatee, wearing jeans and a white tank top. They were both walking toward a ring on the floor, and right then, Phantom knew he was in for some major flirting. Ordinarily, he would have just ignored them and gone on, but this was way more interesting than anything else he'd found. Even if it was gonna be really mushy.  
The two faced each other, slowly circling. Phantom watched them with equal intensity.  
The woman struck first, stepping forward to throw a punch. Phantom knew then that something was up. By the looks of her, she fought often and fought hard. She was just begging for a beating.  
The man stepped to the side, easily avoiding the attack. As she fell forward from her own momentum, he grabbed her arm and pulled her close.  
"You're telegraphing." He informed her. "You need to center yourself."  
'Actually, she wants something and is fighting like a rank amateur to get it.' Phantom thought.  
"Center myself. Got it." He let her go, and they were once again a fair distance apart. Phantom shook his head. Flirting was a complicated game, but from the looks of it, they both knew how to play.  
The woman aimed a kick at the man, but he easily caught her foot. Not surprising, seeing as how purposefully slow it had been. He flipped her over, then pinned her arms behind her back. She flipped her head, her mane of hair flying out of her face as she did. "You're good." 'Okay,' Phantom thought, 'that was hot.'  
"You should see me when I'm trying." The man answered.  
"I'd like that. In fact, I could really use your help on something. But the league can't know. I'll explain once we're on the surface."  
Phantom was instantly curious, but also suspicious. He quirked an eyebrow, even though no one could see. What kind of secret did this lady have?  
"I don't know. It sounds fishy." Good, this guy wasn't a total idiot.  
"I promise, it's for a good cause." She persisted. He continued to look at her. Finally she said,"How about a wager? If I can get out of this hold, you help me."  
The man tightened his grip, causing the woman to wince. "Deal."  
The man went flying across the room and slammed into the wall, causing a towel to fall onto his head. Correction, he was a total idiot.  
The woman walked over to him, holding out her hand. "I'll drive."  
After they left, Phantom made himself visible and sat on a bench to think. Should he follow them, or just go back to his room?  
He snorted to himself. Like he would ever go back to his room after overhearing a conversation like that.

-Line break-

Phantom flew invisibly alongside the speeding motorcycle, straining slightly to keep up. He really needed to start working again, he was way more out of shape than he had thought. He focused his hearing, shutting out the din of traffic to catch their conversation.  
"You can hold onto me if you want." The woman said in a slightly teasing voice. The man, looking slightly uncomfortable, wrapped his arms around her waist. "So tell me about Wildcat. What's so secret you couldn't talk about it in the Watch tower?"  
"He's doing Metabrawl- illegal no holds bar cage fighting." She responded. "Mostly super powered criminals or guys with chemical enhancements. Only rule-they fight till one guy stays down."  
"Why's he doing it?" The man asked. 'Good question.' Phantom thought.  
"He loves to fight. Before he joined the league he was the worlds heavy weight boxing champ."  
"I remember. But doesn't he get enough fighting in the league?"  
"I think the league is part of the problem. It's like he's going through some sort of midlife crisis. I'm worried something's gonna happen to him."  
The mans face sank slightly. "Oh." He said, before unwrapping his arms from her waist. Phantom rolled his eyes. Did this guy seriously think that this lady felt that way about Wildcat? He was so clueless.  
Just like Danny.  
Phantom felt a little twinge in his chest. Danny had never gotten to tell Sam how much he cared about her, and he had regretted it every moment that they had been in prison.  
Phantom shoved those thoughts away. There was nothing to be done about it now. No point dwelling on things he couldn't change.

-Line break-

"Actually, that was just for one ticket. If you're both going, it's two."  
Phantom mentally growled. What a swindler. Good thing he was invisible, or Green Arrow might have popped a blood vessel. He was glad he was no longer mentally referring Green Arrow and Black Canary as "the man" and "the woman".  
After Green Arrow had paid the insane price for tickets and the two had walked away towards the secret arena, Phantom paused. 'I really shouldn't do this.' He thought. 'It's petty, and arrogant, and completely immature, but I just decided that I don't care.' Still invisible, stuffed the man head first in the nearest trash can.  
When he found Green Arrow and Black Canary, they were headed toward a secluded room at the back of the arena. They entered the room to find Wildcat shadow boxing the air.  
"Yeah?" Wildcat said, before looking up to see who it was. He obviously didn't like what he found. "What is this?" He scowled as Black Canary walked up to him. Phantom winced. She and Green Arrow were gonna have a hard time convincing this guy.  
"We wanna help you, Ted. We wanna get you out of here."  
"Why, does it look like I have a problem?" Wildcat growled, pulling off his mask as he did.  
"You do if you don't see what you've become here." She gestured with her hand to emphasize her point. "You're entertainment for these people- the rooster in a cock fight."  
"Fighting is what I do, alright? It's all I was ever good at and I'm still good at it- I'm Wildcat! The guy who fights." Phantom thought he detected a hint of sadness as he finished, "That's what I am."  
The woman reached up and placed her hand on Wildcats face. "You're so much more than that." She said softly. Green Arrow folded his arms and looked away. Phantom rolled his eyes at him, then turned his attention back to the conversation. Wildcat pulled away, saying, "Anyway, I can leave anytime I want, I don't need help." He stressed the last two words as he turned his back on Black Canary and walked across the room.  
"Then leave." She insisted. "Right now."  
"Agh." Wildcat brushed her off as he continued shadow boxing. "Fighting Atomic Skull tonight and you know he deserves a beating."  
"Ted, come on!" Black Canary said.  
Wildcat punched a nearby locker, crumpling the metal. "Hey, I was the greatest, alright, I fought am all and I beat am all." He turned back toward Black Canary, eyes burning. "And now look at me! Most of the time they keep me up in that stupid spaceship babysitting! They call me to do real work less and less. Don't you think I see where this is going? I mean- I don't shoot beams from my eyes, I can't turn myself invisible, I don't even have a supersonic bird call." Phantom bit his lip. He could feel tensions in the room rising, and what Wildcat had said had clearly struck a nerve with Black Canary.  
"So that's it?" She hissed. "You're angry at people with powers and down here you get to beat on them?" Wildcat turned away, pulling his mask back over his head. Black Canary grabbed his shoulder. "Am I getting too close now?"  
Wildcat struck out at her, slapping her hard across the face. Phantom recoiled as if he was the one Wildcat was aiming at as Green Arrow immediately got between the two. "Hey, settle down!"  
Wildcat grabbed his shirt. "How's this your business, huh?"  
Black Canary pushed the two apart. "Stay out of it, Ollie." She snapped.  
Green Arrow held up his hands. "That's it. I'm done." Phantom didn't hesitate to follow as he stormed out. Crime fighting he could handle, but emotional confrontation? Forget about it! It reminded him too much of Jazz's failed attempts to help Danny. The only difference here was that Danny had never tried to hit Jazz.  
"What did you put me in the middle of this for?" Green Arrow growled. "You guys obviously have your own stuff to work out."  
"What stuff?" Black Canary half yelled. "I'm trying to help a friend."  
Green Arrow turned to face her. "That sure looked like you were more than friends."  
Black Canary's face turned into one of shock. "Did you think- Ted is like a father to me! He trained me, trained a lot of us in the league and kept an eye on us when we were starting out. I owe him." She glanced sullenly back at the door. "Now I guess training isn't enough anymore."  
"So you wanna get him out of this quietly cause you don't want him thrown out of the league." Green Arrow said.  
"Or worse." Black Canary had a grim look on her face as she focused on the floor. Help her! Phantom wanted to scream.  
"Alright." Green Arrow said. "But I saw the look in his eye. He's not gonna budge." 'No, really?'Phantom thought.  
"Then I hope I can count on you for plan B."  
Green Arrow looked around, seeming slightly uncomfortable. "Uh. There's no place to change."  
"Right here'll do." They both turned away from each other and began taking off outer layers. Phantom turned away from them both as his cheeks turned a toxic shade of green.

-Line break-

"Shows over, folks. Forever." Phantom turned his attention from the two swinging heroes. A group of guards was heading toward them. Phantom floated over and discretely froze the ground. He watched in satisfaction as they all toppled over. He then flew toward the door the guards had come through and froze it shut. He knew he was only buying them time, but right now, time was all they needed.  
"Hold it!" A powerful voice Phantom recognized as Wildcat echoed through the stands. "Just what do you think your doin?"  
Phantom flew over toward the voice, and looked around. The group of guards had been farther from the center than he thought, and as he flew, he realized he was lost. He continued flying, phasing through several walls as he tried to find the center as the voices continued to talk. But the next words made him freeze- literally.  
"How would you like to see two league members fight each other? Me and Wildcat, in the cage, right now. That make you some money?"  
Phantom couldn't move, couldn't think. All he could do was listen.  
"Oh, definitely." A silky voice replied, and Phantom felt an instant dislike toward the owner.  
"Then here's the deal." Black Canary continued. "If I win, you ban Wildcat from cage fighting forever." Phantom didn't catch the rest of what she said, but he wasn't registering much at the moment anyway.  
"Forget it!" Wildcat yelled.  
"Can't do that, Cat. It's much too good an idea. Everything's okay folks, in fact, it's fabulous! Because after a brief intermission, Wildcat is going to fight Black Canary! That's right. Two good guys, fighting each other. And one of them's her!" Loud cheering rose up. "So place your bets."  
Phantom raced down the hallway. He wasn't sure what the plan was, but he did know that Green Arrow and Black Canary were going to need all the help they could get. He dropped his invisibility, flying as fast as he could toward the sound of cheering.  
He only had time to raise his arms when the door opened.

-Line break-

Atomic Skull was furious. Not only had the fight been interrupted, but it had been interrupted while it looked like he was losing! Now the other guys were teasing him nonstop, and he'd probably never be able to show his face in a cage fight again! He threw the door open and stormed out. He didn't notice that the door slammed shut behind him, barely missing his fingers.  
One of the other criminals, a few minutes later, decided to go out to watch the fight between two heroes. When he opened the door, however, there seemed to be something in the way. He gave the door a good shove, and it opened with only some resistance. He glanced down to see a crumpled figure behind the door. He snorted to himself as he walked down the hallway. Some guy probably got drunk and passed out in front of the door.

-Line break-

Phantom moaned as a bright light shone on his face. There was a lot of noise coming from far off, and he rolled over to try and block out the sounds and light. His forearms ached like they had been bruised, but not as much as the shooting pains in his face, especially his nose. The pain made it impossible to go back to sleep, so he eventually he sat up with a groan.  
He looked around, confusion clearing the cobwebs from his mind. Why wasn't he in the hospital at the watchtower? He rewound his memory, trying to recall how he'd come to be there. Let's see- bored beyond comprehension, eavesdropping, a fight-  
"Dee fide!" He cried out suddenly, regretting it as his nose began to throb again. With the pain came the memories of what had happened. He began once again to fly down the hall, albeit slow enough to stop if another door suddenly opened. As he flew, Phantom began to check himself for injuries. As he rolled up his sleeves, he found that his arms had begun to turn a greenish purple color. He grimaced and rolled them back down. He felt his face, and flakes of dried ectoplasm stuck to his fingers. A bit of fresh ectoplasm was dripping down his face, and he pinched the bridge of his nose to try and stem the flow. But all thoughts of his own injuries were forgotten when he felt it. An familiar pricking in his hands and back. He knew what it was all too well.  
His Death sense.  
~"Clockwork?" Phantom said. Clockwork turned, face passive as ever. "Right before Danny's family died, I-well, Danny and I, got this pins and needles feeling in my-our back and hands. I-we felt the same feeling the morning before Danny was killed. Does it mean anything?"  
"Aah. I see." Clockwork said. "That, my boy, was your Death sense."  
Phantom stared. "My...Death sense?"  
"Every ghost has one. You feel it when a nearby soul prepares to crossover into the next life. Because even if you know you are not about to die, your soul believes otherwise."  
"So whenever I get this feeling, someone nearby going to die?"  
Clockwork began winding his staff. "Not necessarily. It simply means there is a fair possibility of death. It is not limited to one person. You can feel if a group of people are about to die, or in extreme cases, where a great deal of death has occurred in the past."  
"So...if I get this feeling, I should try to keep everyone safe?" Phantom asked.  
"You should be careful, and prepare for loss if your efforts should fail."

"A ghosts Death sense is a mysterious thing, Phantom. Each one is different, and no ghost I have ever known completely understands it. All one can do is be careful and hope for the best."~  
Phantom tore down the hall, throwing caution to the wind. He had to find that fight and stop the imminent death he was sure was going to happen. Or maybe someone was going to have a near death experience. Whatever the reason, he knew he had to get there. It went off again, stronger this time. He burst through the last wall, remembering to turn invisible at the last second. What he saw in the ring made him sick.  
Green Arrow was on the floor, repeated punches being thrown at his face. Phantom winced as the blows rained down. DO SOMETHING! His mind screamed, but he couldn't think, couldn't move! It didn't help that he could hear Green Arrows teeth as they were forcefully brought together.  
Wildcat lifted Green Arrow by his shirt. After a pause, he punched Green Arrow through the air. The instant he landed, Phantom knew this was what his Death sense had been warning him about. The body was too stiff, too still as it lay on the floor. Phantoms vision blurred, and suddenly he was on his hands and knees. It was his fault, again. He'd frozen, and another person had paid for his mistake.  
'Don't be stupid.' Phantom suddenly saw Spectra's face in his minds eye. 'I won't let you go blaming yourself for every death that you witness.'  
'But I-' He had tried to respond.  
'No buts about it, young man. You are not responsible, so stop acting like it.'  
Phantom took a deep breath. Spectra had been right then, just like she was now. There was still one death he blamed himself for, but it wasn't this one. He opened his eyes and then frowned. When had the arena gotten so empty? Had he lost consciousness-again? He flew invisibly to the center, and nearly blew his top when he saw Green Arrow.  
The dude was sitting up, talking like nothing had happened! Okay, he kind of sounded like he'd been hit by a train, but still, seriously?! He'd been ready to hang himself over a guy who was faking!?  
"What's that?" Green Arrows scratchy voice asked. Phantom realized that during his internal rant, he'd dropped his invisibility. He managed to put it back up just as Black Canary and Wildcat turned.  
"What's what?" Black Canary asked.  
Green Arrow frowned, then said,"Must have been my imagination."  
Phantom felt an uncomfortable cold growing inside him. He imagined that a living person would feel a great deal of heat, but he was a ghost, so it was cold. Just his imagination!? He was no freakin-he'd tried to-he was just-ugh! Phantom flew through the roof and back toward the watchtower. A small part of him knew that he shouldn't be getting mad, but he'd been looking for a reason to rant for a while.

-Line break-

Green Arrow watched as Black Canary left the hospital room, leaving him to his bandages and thoughts. He knew that Black Canary was right-even though it had been needed, it had been a pretty stupid thing to do.  
"After all that, I'm not sure I have the heart to yell at you." A voice from behind the curtain muttered. Frowning, Green Arrow called,"Who's there?"  
There was a pause, then "Pay no attention to that voice behind the curtain!" Green Arrow reached over and pulled it aside, looking for who had spoken.  
There was a boy laying in the bed. He looked maybe fourteen or fifteen, and there was a reddish brown book on his lap. He had snow white hair and really green eyes, and his nose was taped with light bruising around his forehead and cheeks. For some reason, Green Arrow felt like he'd seen him before. "Didn't I just say not to pay attention?" The kid said in a grumpy tone. He rolled his eyes, then opened the book and began drawing in it.  
"Do I know you?" Green Arrow asked.  
The kids eyes widened, and he snapped the book shut with a nervous laugh. "No. Why would I know you? Er, um, you know me? Or, whatever?"  
Green Arrow raised an eyebrow. "I just feel like I've seen you before."  
"You have never seen me before in your life! I mean, I've never seen you in my life! Er, afterlife." The teen flew across the room and got in Green Arrows face. "We don't know each other, you got that!?"  
"Okay!" Green Arrow held up his hands, a little freaked out by the kids behavior.  
Green Arrows words seemed to nullify the teen, and he landed on the floor beside his bed. "Well, now that we've established that we don't know each other, my names Phantom."  
"Green Arrow."  
"Well, nice to meet you."  
Green Arrow, still a little put off by Phantoms behavior, asked "What happened to your face?"  
"Oh, that." Phantom felt his nose and winced. "I ran into a door at terminal velocity. No big."  
"Uh huh." Green Arrow said.  
Just then the door opened and Flash zipped in. "Hey Phantom, guess what? Bats says that things have calmed down enough for you to walk around in public! And J'onn says your healed enough to send on missions! Come on, I'll show you around!" Flash grabbed Phantom and was out the door faster than a bullet.  
Green Arrow stared for a moment. He glanced at the bed and saw that Phantom had left his sketchbook. With a quick glance around to ensure that he was alone, Green Arrow got up and hobbled over. He opened the sketchbook, and his eyes bugged out when he saw the drawing.  
There were chibi versions of him, Black Canary, Wildcat and Phantom. Wildcat and Black Canary looked like they were screaming at each other, while a tearful Green Arrow was jumping farther off with his arms reaching up. Phantoms chibi was floating in the air, a look of amusement on his face as he dangled Green Arrows hat just out of his reach.  
"My hat is not that important." Green Arrow grumbled as he checked that his hat was on. He turned the page and found chibi Phantom screaming in Green Arrow chibi's face as he was grabbing his shirt.'I thought you were dead, you # :$&amp;!' His eyes narrowed. He and "Phantom" were gonna have a very interesting friendship.

**And that's a wrap! Thanks for reading! Also, should Phantom like anyone and should anyone like Phantom? Let me know in the reviews. And please review, I need to know you guys are there.**


	4. sorry for delay

**I need comfort. Just got wisdom teeth out. Repeat, need comfort. (And motivation to write. Lost all story progress when I-pod died.)**


	5. Chapter 4

**Ugh, it has been **_**way**_** too long! First I had strep throat, then girl's camp, then vacation, then wisdom teeth! Whew, so long. Anyway, I am not going to be writing every episode. That is why this one is the doomsday sanction instead of Miracles happen, or whatever that one episode is supposed to be called. Enjoy and please review.**

Chapter 4: The Doomsday Sanction

_"It's too late to escape!" Dan yelled as he was sucked into the thermos. "And you're still too late to save them!" _

_Danny capped the thermos, but his blood ran cold as he registered what his future self had said. "Oh no." He whispered, looking to where they were tied. He turned and ran as fast as he could. Danny tried to go ghost, but the ring fizzled out the moment it appeared. His foot caught on a rock, and he fell. 'Nooo!' Phantom screamed in his head. Danny looked up into the terrified faces of his family, seeing the spectrum of their emotions with stunning clarity. Jazz looked proud, and his parents showed acceptance. Tucker looked like he was ready for anything, and Lancer looked like he wanted to swear in a book title. But these emotions were completely overwhelmed with horror as they all realized what was going to happen._

_The explosion radiated out from the restaurant, throwing him back several feet. A piece of shrapnel dug into his face, slicing a clean cut just above his left eye. Danny landed with a thud, scraping his elbow as he did. He sat up, staring at the orange and green flames that engulfed the husk that used to be The Nasty Burger. The boiler was gone, lost in the fire. This time, Danny joined Phantoms cry of anguish. One was unheard by all but them, the other was projected for all to witness. "NOOOOOOO!"_

Phantom hit the floor with a thud, waking from his dream. He sat in his tangled sheets for a moment, trying to calm his ragged breathing. No matter how many times he had that dream, it was equally horrifying every time. He knew he'd always remember it. In fact, he was sure that it would be burned into his mind when he passed on. He slowly managed to breathe deeply, trying to push the remnants of the nightmare to the back of his mind.

Phantom slowly got up from his spot on the floor and staggered toward the bathroom. He flicked on the light and turned on the faucet, splashing some of the cool water on his face. Phantom wanted to forget, wanted to forget so much. But he had to remember them. He was the only being left to remember them, and he wanted to make them live on.

Phantom looked up into the mirror and touched the scar above his eye. There it was, the constant reminder of his tragic past. He still wasn't sure exactly what had made it, and he thought he should consider himself lucky he hadn't gotten tetanus or something. Phantom sighed, pressing his forehead against the mirror. All these thoughts of "making them live on", and the Justice League knew nothing about his past. But he would tell them someday- wouldn't he?

Phantom pulled back and sucked in a deep breath. He... didn't really want to think about that right now. He glanced at the clock. 5:43. No point going back to bed. Green Lantern would be up at six and he wanted the shower first.

Several minutes later, Phantom slipped on his usual shirt, pants and shoes. He glanced at his hoodie, deciding to keep it off for the moment. He walked slowly to the window, resting his elbows on the window sill. The sun was just starting to peek over the horizon, turning the sky a deep flaming orange as the last of the stars flickered away. The early light silhouetted the short, slightly rundown buildings of the neighborhood. Phantom thought it was kind of weird that someone as recognized as Green lantern lived in such a junky place. Well, the inside of his house was neat- border line freaky neat- but still, weird.

"You're up early." Phantom turned slightly to see Green Lantern was watching him, an eyebrow slightly raised. "Yeah." He said.

"You're being moved to Flash's place later today." Green Lantern continued. Phantom turned back toward the window with a shrug. "Okay." The infirmary had mysteriously flooded, so he was switching between leaguers places until they found a more permanent solution. He didn't really mind, but Green Lantern's neatness was starting to freak him out. Seriously, who folds their socks?

Green Lantern watched him a moment longer, then went off toward the shower. Danny continued to look toward the rising sun, letting his mind drift away on the growing rays of light. He sighed and closed his eyes, letting the sunlight blot out his growing worries. His super hearing picked up the sounds of others waking, and he reluctantly left the window. As he passed the mirror, he paused. He had been thinking about making them live on, and Clockwork had told him he could change his appearance. Hmm…

He stood in front of the mirror for a moment, then closed his eyes, picturing Danny as clearly as he could. It didn't seem like much of a change, but he quickly realized that Danny was actually _way_ different. They wore their hair the same way, but Phantom had grown his out a bit since then. And Phantom's muscles, however subtle, just didn't exist on Danny. Phantom was glad he and Danny had spent so much time together, or he might not have been able to remember the subtle differences. Finally, he opened his eyes.

Phantom bit back a scream, stepping backward so fast he fell down. He stared at the mirror, his mouth dropping open. He reached up and patted his face, trying to determine if what he was seeing was actually real. He slowly scooted toward the mirror, reaching out and pressing his hand to the surface. His reflection copied his every move.

He looked exactly like Danny! Raven hair, china blue eyes, short and scrawny. Maybe too much like him. Phantom closed his eyes again, and when he opened them, his eyes were the normal green.

He got up and looked at himself from all angles, seeing that he had only focused on the front of himself. And the back of his head still had wisps of white mixed in with the black. He shifted back to his super form, thinking that he had to work on that. He went to his bed and got out his sketchbook. He wanted to preserve this moment.

As he worked, his thoughts suddenly turned back. To his first life, before Danny. He didn't remember a lot about it. That was customary for ghosts, but he still felt a little uncomfortable that he couldn't remember anything before becoming a ghost. Well, he would occasionally get a flash of insight, but those came and went so quickly that it was pretty much like remembering nothing. He frowned, not sure what had brought on the train of thought. Eventually he shrugged and went back to drawing. He didn't think it was anything to worry about.

-Line break-

"Isn't this exciting? Our first mission together."

Phantom stared out the window, not really paying attention. "Sure Flash."

Flash reached over and gave him a friendly punch on the shoulder. Phantom finally looked up.

"You need to lighten up, man. I'm starting to think you're bipolar. One minute you're a fun guy with social skills, the next you're a brooding introvert."

Phantom quirked an eyebrow at him. "Are you suggesting that introverts don't have social skills?"

Flash, seeming delighted that Phantom had said something other than an agreement, took the comment in stride. "Of course not! I'm just saying that you might want to get to know people other than me." He continued, apparently unaware that everyone on the ship could hear him. "I mean, I know I'm an absolute joy to be around, but you should really socialize a bit more."

"You think so?" The javelin swerved unexpectedly, and Phantom tightened his harness. "I consider myself an introvert."

"Really? Why?"

"Once, a girl I liked called me and said she wanted a date. I didn't call back for three days because I wasn't sure how to respond." Phantom blinked. He had no idea where he had pulled the memory from. A moment ago, he couldn't have told anyone about his past if you pressed a shotgun to his head and demanded the information.

Flash gave him a weird look. "Three days? You have a serious problem. You have to respond while they're still interested."

Phantom shrugged. "She turned out to be a jerk anyway." He had no idea where that had come from either. But now he could clearly recollect a tall, blond girl with an attitude issue.

"What?" Flash elbowed him and said in a teasing way, "She didn't _love _your introvert lifestyle?"

Phantom shrugged again. "Love was just a word to her- A way to get what she wanted fast." Where the heck were these words coming from!?

Before Flash could respond, Wonder Woman's voice came over the loudspeaker. "We will be arriving in one minute."

Flash grinned, wrapping an arm around him and gesturing around the whole ship. "See Phantom, this is your chance to meet some new people. So what if you don't know them outside of the job? You can still have a good laugh and a girlfriend."

Phantom squirmed slightly, feeling a bit awkward. "I'm not sure that a mission is the best time to socialize." He phased out of Flash's grip. "Besides, you don't have a girlfriend."

Flash crossed his arms. "No need to rub it in, geez."

"I wasn't."

"Yes you were."

Phantom face palmed, but before he could continue, Wonder Woman's voice sounded again. "Prepare for landing."

-Line break-

"Then you'll solve both our problems?"

The giant being's voice was gravelly when he answered, his expression never changing. "Yes."

Dr. Milo should have known better. But Amanda Waller's rejection was the last straw. He was stressed beyond belief. Waller seemed to think it was easy to splice DNA. She was so wrong. He had been working his butt off, trying to make it work. He hadn't been lying to the board when he said he was close. A few more weeks, and he really would have had something concrete to show them. But that wasn't what Waller had done, oh _no_. She was too _important_for his little experiments. She was so high and mighty. That little- Well, soon she would know exactly what pain was. He opened the cuffs.

Doomsday stepped forward. Milo looked up, his pleased expression morphing into one of pure terror. "What are you-"

"You're problems solved." Doomsday growled, his hand blocking out everything but Milo's final, gut wrenching scream.

Doomsday smashed through the wall, his face twisted into a sinister grin. He felt exhilarated by his freedom. Some men fired at him, but he defeated them with almost no effort. He smashed out of the place that had been his prison, almost laughing at everyone's pitiful attempts to stop him. Superman would die today. Oh, this was going to be so much fun.

-Line break-

Phantom sat with a crying boy, wrapping his arms around him. "Flash will get your mom, I promise."

The boy sobbed into Phantom's shirt, his little body shaking like a leaf in the wind. "How do you know?" He sniffed, looking at the burning shell of his house.

"I…" Phantom wasn't sure how to respond. He decided to ignore the question. He handed the boy the sleeve of his hoodie. "Here, blow."

The boy grabbed the fabric and eagerly blew his nose. Phantom ignored the quarter sized glob of snot stuck to his sleeve and went back to reassuring. "He'll be back any min-"

Flash zoomed up and set down a tall woman with long black hair. "Told you I'd get her out."

"Mommy!" The little kid ran up to the woman and hugged her legs. She knelt down and hugged him back. Flash zipped over. "I have to keep carrying messages. Can you take care of these two?"

"Sure." Flash zoomed off.

_Good, the hero is gone. Now I will kill them both before they escape!_

Phantom staggered slightly, grabbing a tree to support himself. What was that? How could he have thought something like that? The voice sounded like his, but it couldn't be.

_I must kill them! My chance is slipping away!_

The woman and her child walked up to him, apparently done with their tearful reunion. "Will you take us to the ship, please?" She frowned at him. "Are you alright?"

Phantom blinked several times, trying to banish the thoughts from his head. "Yeah, I'm fine. Come on, I'll take you."

He picked them both up and flew toward the shore. After setting them in the back of a truck, he sat down, trying to work out his feelings. The thoughts he had just had were very disturbing. He had never and thoughts like that before in his life. Never in any one of his lives! At least, he certainly hoped he hadn't. Who could really say?

"Phantom! Could you give me a hand with this truck?"

Phantom looked up to find a hero he didn't know attempting to pull a truck out of the mud. Phantom gave a nod, not trusting himself to speak after the out of place thoughts he had just had.

Phantom spent the rest of the day attempting to shake off the sense of foreboding the thoughts had left him with. He helped out where he could, offering comfort and baked goods where it seemed necessary. He never realized how much a simple cookie could brighten someone's day.

As he was standing next to Flash, directing the flow of people into the shuttle, Wonder Woman flew over. "Get everyone off the island! I'm going after Superman."

"But-"They both said at the same time.

"Now!" She barked, leaving no room for argument. She flew off toward the mountain.

Flash and Phantom glanced at each other. Phantom shrugged, and the two began to bring the people in faster.

When there was all but one ship left, Batman's ship suddenly flew by. There was what appeared to be a missile stuck to the bottom of the craft. The ship crashed into the ocean some distance away, and a wave of water surged toward them. Flash yelled over the noise as the rest of the people crowded inside. "What do we do? We'll never get off in time!"

Phantom knew he had to do something. He wasn't sure if he was strong enough to lift the Javelin and fly away, and even if he was, he didn't trust himself to carry it without hurting anyone inside. He looked at the wall of water, barely on hundred yards away. Without considering the possible consequences of his actions, Phantom stepped forward. He squared his shoulders, planted his feet on the hard earth, and lifted his hands.

The shield appeared not a moment too soon. The wave slammed into the green bubble, and Phantom grunted with the effort of keeping it stable. He had never created a shield this big before, and it was sapping his strength faster than he could draw it up. The water pushed again, causing Phantom and the shield to slide back several feet before he regained his footing. His hands pressed against the force field, beginning to ache from the strain. Flash was saying something, but he couldn't hear. "What?"

"I said, the volcano is erupting!"

Phantom glanced back long enough to see that Flash was right. Strings of hot lava were splattering onto the shield, rapidly covering it with a molten hot layer. He grunted, not willing to talk lest he lose concentration. He could hear Flash talking on his ear piece, probably calling for help. He just had to keep the shield in place-

_I'll let the shield down. No one will know it was on purpose._

Phantom shuddered. Where were these foreign thoughts coming from? He couldn't afford to lose concentration now, these people would die!

_Yes- I should let them die! They are of no use to me. I should let them drown and burn! Let their blood soak the earth!_

_NO! _Phantom thought it as hard as he could, hoping to dissuade whatever was causing it. _They deserve to live as much as anyone!_

_I must kill them! They are cowards, a scourge and annoyance to everyone around them!_

_Get out of my head!_

_You get out!_

Phantom pushed to drive the voice away, not sure what he was fighting. He was yanked out of the inner battle by a sudden burning sensation in his hands. He looked up to see red hot lava running down the shield, inches away from his hands. It was a good thing that the shield was a ghost shield, or his hands would be gone. However, the ghost shield didn't stop them from burning. He bit back a scream, trying to focus on something else.

Flash called to him, his voice sounding slightly raspy. "They'll be here in a minute or so!"

Phantom drew in a breath of the stifling air, calling back in an equally raspy tone. "I'll hold out!" He hoped he could.

_I should kill him too, he's annoying._

_Shut up. _Phantom could feel his emotions beginning a roller coaster ride.

_Make me._

_I will._

_I'd like to see you try._

_Who are you!?_

_You really don't remember me? Enough of this, kill them._

_No!_

_Do it or I'll do it for you!_

_**NO!**_

"They're here!" Flash had to yell to break Phantom out of the focus he had been in. Phantom sighed with relief. He had no idea how much time had passed, but the pain in his hands and body told him it had been awhile. His organs felt like they had been turned to jelly, and his mouth and throat seemed to think he had downed a gallon of jalapeno extract. His hands felt like they'd fall off if he so much as twitched them.

He didn't remember much of the plan. All he knew was that he was supposed to let the shield fall at a certain time. He did, and all of them go out. He didn't remember how. He slept most of the way back, but it wasn't restful. He kept having the same one, over and over. He woke up a few times to hear people talking. They were saying Superman had fought something in the volcano, and that's what had set it off. Frankly, he couldn't have cared less. All he knew was that it had happened, he had protected the people, and he had a mysterious voice in his head. Finally, when they were coming into the watchtower, he fell into a dreamless slumber.

-Line break-

The dark being within Phantom smirked. This child would sleep for now. But he couldn't run for long. His past was closer to him than he thought. He knew that when he gained enough power, he would drag Phantom down and assume control once more. He was patient, he could wait. He could wait. He had waited years, he could wait for his triumph. And with his triumph, would come the blood and destruction that he craved. The time was close at hand. And he would destroy anything that stood in his way.

**How was **_**that**_** for a chapter, eh? I know it didn't really follow the episodes plot, but the Justice League's struggle isn't supposed to be the main focus. So, predictions on Phantoms mysterious voice? Come at me with them! Please review, and I'll see you on the other side.**


	6. Chapter 5

***Runs on screen and hides behind a trash can* (Whispering) Hi guys, here's a new chapter. Don't be too loud! I'm hiding from reviewer mobs. *Glances up and see's torches getting closer* I gotta go, but please review! *Makes a break for it and jumps into a dumpster as mob turns the corner***

Chapter 5: Task Force X

Phantom stared at the mirror before him, moodily changing his hair different colors as he tried to sort through his thoughts. The voice in his head had really bothered him, and he had made an effort to try and be as good a person as possible since then. He hadn't heard it since, except for some whispers that sounded suspiciously like they were coming from his own head. He anxiously began to pace, stopping when his hair turned a dusty brown. He frowned, feeling the inklings of a memory begin to stir in his mind. Had he- had he looked like this once? He turned his hair white again, trying to bring the memory out farther.

"Hey, paging Doctor Upside-down!" Phantom looked down toward the floor, seeing Star girl waving at him. The two had become fast friends, after Stargirl had caught him talking to himself in the mirror and declared them kindred spirits. He flipped over and floated down. "Hi Twinkles, what's up?"

She bopped him on the head with her staff, pretending to look annoyed. "You know I hate it when you call me Twinkles."

Phantom feigned a shocked expression. "You mean to tell me that _isn't_ your real name?" He ducked as she took another swing at him.

"Shut up, you big dweeb." Stargirl tried to be serious, but her face quickly melted into a sappy grin. The two of them laughed for a minute, then Stargirl broke the silence. "I'm on my way to the mess hall. You wanna come get some lunch with me?"

Phantom shrugged. "Sure." Stargirl began walking, with Phantom floating beside her. "What are they serving?"

"Don't know yet."

Phantom raised an eyebrow. "So you're just going to eat whatever random thing they give you?"

She shrugged. "Maybe not. I might force you to eat it, though."

"I'd like to see you try."

"Is that a challenge?"

"Yes it- oof!" Phantom fell back, looking up to see he had run straight into someone.

-Line break-

"I almost lost it when Boomy here set off the metal detector." **(A/N: I don't actually know what Plastique said, bear with me)** Plastique muttered.

"Seventy five cents is seventy five cents." **(Don't know what he said after that)**

"Shut your mouths and focus on the job." Flag snapped. The group kept walking and was preparing to go into the elevator, when someone ran into Deadshot. The toolbox fell open, and a bunch of 'Lightspeed bars' fell out.

He was a short guy, with white hair and acid green eyes that seemed to look straight through you. Flag was a little shocked by how young he was. He filed the information away for later.

"Oh man, I am so sorry!" The kid stood up and immediately began gathering up the 'bars', muttering to himself. Flag only caught a few words, but they were the weirdest things.

"Stupid little-"

"-not going to-"

"Shut up-"

"-head, you stupid voi-"

He finally stood up, holding the box for Deadshot to take. Deadshot did, keeping a straight face as the kid apologized again and walked off.

The group walked away and split, all of them grateful that they had avoided another close call.

-Line break-

Phantom walked back toward Stargirl, trying to drown out the insistent voice that had taken its sweet, _freaking_ time to show up!

_They are spies, kill them before it's too late!_

_Shut up! They are not spies!_

_You will regret this!_

Finally the voice was silent, and Phantom had to stop himself from sighing in relief.

"I didn't know you could change your hair color."

Phantom looked up, surprised. "You saw that?"

Stargirl rolled her eyes. "Well, you weren't exactly doing it in private."

Phantom blushed slightly green. He really needed to be more careful. "Well, yeah. I can change my hair color. And by eye color. And little changes in body structure."

"You do know that technically makes you a shape shifter, right?"

Phantom frowned. "I never thought of it that way."

The two arrived at the mess hall, picking a table slightly to the side. Stargirl went to get a tray. "Are you coming?"

Phantom pulled out his sketchpad and set it on the table. "Nah, I've got something I want to draw."

"Okay. See you in a few."

Phantom began to draw. His original intention had been to draw Stargirl, but something inside him tugged his fingers in a different direction. Without really knowing what he was doing, he let his fingers go by themselves. His eyes grew wide as he stared at what he was making, but he didn't stop- couldn't stop. He set his pencil down and stared at the picture, feeling a memory so close and yet so far away.

"Hey, are you okay?"

Phantom jumped, looking up to see that Stargirl had sat down and was giving him a concerned look.

He quickly hid his troubles behind a practiced smile, not wanting to worry her. "Yeah, I'm fine." He quickly changed the subject. "I thought you hated tapioca."

If Stargirl noticed the subject change, she didn't let on. "Well, I did." She poked at the pile with her fork. "But I figured I could give it another chance."

"That's a good ide-" Phantom stopped abruptly. A sharp tingle ran through his fingers and back, causing his hands to twitch involuntarily. Death sense, coming on strong.

"Phantom? What's going on?"

The entire watchtower rocked, the lights shutting off. Phantom stumbled back as a sudden weight filled his arms, and when the lights came back on, Stargirl was clinging to him and shaking like a leaf in the breeze. He raised an eyebrow at her. "Uh, Stargirl? You okay there?" He was starting to feel uncomfortable.

She promptly fainted.

Phantom tried not to, but he groaned loudly. He would have to carry her out, bridal style. He listened to Martian Manhunter's announcement, then flew as level as he could toward the javelin bay.

-Line break-

_I told you to kill them. You didn't listen. See what happens?_

Phantom ground his teeth together, clenching and unclenching his fists in an attempt to drown it out. _Shut up._

_You're afraid. Afraid to admit I was right._

_SHUT UP!_

"Phantom, are you okay?"

Stargirl put her hand on Phantoms arm, but he didn't react. He continued to stare unblinking at the mirror. Stargirl put her hand under his nose. Yep, still breathing. Not knowing what else to do, she walked away, leaving Phantom to his thoughts. She really worried about him sometimes.

-Line break-

_You've killed before, you know. _

Phantom scowled. _You're just saying that._

_Do you know what happened to her?_

Phantoms eyes narrowed. _Who?_

_The girl. The one you drew. _

Without really thinking about it, Phantom pulled out his sketchpad. He flipped to the latest drawing, frowning as he stared at it. _I… I don't know who she is._

_Wrong. You knew her. Loved her. __**Killed her.**_

_YOU'RE LYING!_

_Am I? What do you remember from before?_

Phantom stiffened. _What?_

_Do you remember anything from your first life?_

_I… _Phantom shook his head. _I don't- It doesn't matter!_

_Really?_

_Why should I let you tell me? _Phantom thought angrily. _I don't know you either. _Phantom stalked away from the mirror, determined not to let this voice get to him.

_Oh, you are wrong. _The voice sent a symphony of chills down his back. In his minds eye, he caught a flash of a dark, indistinct figure. The next words would haunt Phantom for weeks to come.

_**I'm not as much of a stranger as you want to believe. **_


	7. Chapter 7

**Hey guys, I have an important announcement. *Crowd anxiously leans forward* I am putting several of my stories on hiatus. *Shocked silence, followed by angry rumbling* Wait! Before you pull out the pitchforks, let me explain. I just started school again and am gonna be super busy. I need to take off some of the workload on my brain because I have to ****_reread my own stories to get the details right!_**** For me, that's a big red flag. Plus, I'm getting pretty tired of only doing Danny Phantom. I am going to be publishing several stories for other fandom's in the near future. As for my current stories, I will split them up so you can just look at the one you're reading. (Because I'm too lazy to create a unique document for each story.) To be absolutely clear- ****_I AM NOT GIVING UP ON ANY OF THESE STORIES*_**

**Alone again****: Since this is the first story I published, I feel the need to keep in going. Besides, my cliffhangers there are slightly less torturous, so my reviewers wait longer before trying to kill me. (I'm kidding. You guys have actually never rallied as an angry mob bent on my destruction. Thanks.)**

**Justice is blind:**** This story is my most popular, so I'm going to keep in running. Also, the reviewers are the most aggressive mob-wise. *Starts stretching* What? You'd stretch too, if you were about to be chased by dozens of angry flame mobs.**

**New: ****I love this story. It's a lot of fun to write, and I like it when I come up with an original concept that no one has thought of before. However, I am putting this one on hiatus. It's just not in my list of priorities right now. *Coughs awkwardly* Of course, this probably isn't the wisest thing to do considering the cliffhanger I left them on... *Goes back to stretching***

**The Vampiric Foster Ghost Child****: Wow. You guys really think I would put this on hiatus when it's dealing with ****_abuse? _****This story is going to continue.**

**FEN-BOT****: Yet another group that I left with an annoying cliffhanger. *Slips on Kevlar vest* Sorry, but I don't want to ruin this by trying to update too fast. There is enough on my brain as it is, and I know you guys like it. So, it's going on the shelf until I can finish a few of my other stories and/or get out of this gravity falls au mess that my mind has fallen into.**

**Shady hero****: I am dissatisfied with this story. It is undergoing a complete rewrite, which is gonna take awhile. So, in a way, this is also on hiatus. **

**Lilac eyes****: Have any of you even read this angsty, kind-of poetic au oneshot that I wrote? If not, review and tell me how I could have improved. (There are lots of ways. I consider this the worst thing I've ever written.) **

**And that's the fate of all the stories you have come to love. Please review, and keep the flames to a minimum. Pretty please. *Takes off* Feel free to give chase, if it makes you feel better. YOU CAN'T CATCH ME- I'M INVINCIBLE! *Is chased by people carrying various weapons*AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!**


	8. Chapter 8

**Me: YES! FINALLY, I DID IT!**

**Friend: Maybe it wouldn't take so long if you typed the majority of it on a computer instead of your I-pod.**

**Me: My family needs the computer more than me!**

**Friend: Why are you so nice to your family?**

**Me: Isn't everyone?**

**Friend: ...You live a strange life.**

_Clockwork!_

_It's rude to barge in, Walker._

_Cut the act, Clockwork! Something is not right with the dead, and I want to know what it is! My prisoners are all bedridden, constantly shifting forms and vomiting up ectoplasm. Some of them have disappeared altogether! Where are my prisoners, Clockwork!? _

_Do you believe I am unaware of the situation? _

_I believe__ that you are purposefully breaking the rules! _

_I am the master of time, Walker. It is very rare that the rules apply to me in the same way they apply to you. _

_That's no excuse for your actions, son. _

_Walker, you needn't worry. The devil is already being returned to his place in hell._

_The devil!?_

_-Line break-_

Phantom wasn't feeling well. Scratch that, he felt pretty freakin awful. Like his insides were getting ready to tear themselves to pieces. As Flash blabbed away about his failed attempt to bring Hawkgirl and wonder Woman back together, Phantom was trying his best not to spew chunks all over the table. His death sense was so strong it was causing his hands to randomly spasm, so drawing was out of the question. Not that he could concentrate on drawing with his pounding migraine. What was going on? What was wrong with him?

_Everything. Absolutely everything. _

Phantom bit hard into his lip, nearly drawing blood as the spasm of pain whipped through him. _Not now, eerie voice in my head! _Ice began to form on Phantom's chair, spreading slowly across the floor as he tried desperately to keep it under control.

"Hey, you okay?" Flash had finally taken notice of his friend's condition. "You don't look so good."

Phantom sucked in some air through his teeth. "I- I don't know." He truly didn't. This feeling seemed to be coming from nowhere, just an awful pain and a feeling that something was terribly wrong. "I- I think I need to-" Phantom fell through the floor.

He didn't intend to, but Phantom's entire being was focused on getting out of there, so his powers obliged. Phantom was too distracted to stop himself as he fell several floors, eventually running out of power and crashing into the floor with a resounding clang. He could vaguely see a blob of red, but he was in too much pain to notice. His mouth was mumbling things without his consent, and he abruptly vomited. His vomit was green, why was it green?

He felt someone carrying him, but he couldn't think. His mouth kept moving and the pain kept coming. Coming... He saw a flash of white, then so many colors... Voices in his head, the girl, screaming... Hannah?... He just... couldn't... think...

-Line break-

Flash was having a very hard time carrying Phantom. He would be completely limp one moment, spasming and whimpering the next, and Flash had lost count of the times he had nearly dropped him. He was also talking in a language Flash didn't know, spouting half shouted phrases that made no sense.

"Helpu min... doloras..." Phantom groaned, jerking in his arms and throwing up again. Flash gripped him a little harder, trying not to hurt him but at the same time desperate not to drop him. "Calm down pal, we're almost there." Flash said, hoping Phantom could hear him over the rushing wind.

"Esti vi ŝuisto, reĝo, aŭ straton balaisto..." He shuddered. "Ni ĉiuj dancas kun la Grim Reaper."

Flash frowned. The only thing he'd gotten out of that was 'Grim Reaper', and that was almost never a good sign.

"Ne dormu, ne think- kio estas malĝusta kun mi?" Flash arrived at the sick bay, slightly horrified by how many were there. "J'onn, what's going on?" He handed Phantom to J'onn, who phased through the wall. Flash turned to Wonder Woman for an explanation.

"Ĝi hurts- la blades- fari rezigni!" He wailed, his voice cracking with the strain. "Mi sorry- Mi bedaŭras Hannah! Mi penis ne, mi bedaŭras!"

"What's happened to them?" Flash asked, when Wonder Woman showed no signs of replying.

Her eyes never left Zatara, who was screaming sentences almost as jumbled as Danny's. "I don't know."

-Line break-

It was dark. Phantom knew that much. The surface he was lying on was cool and smooth, somehow reminding him of a hospital. He slowly pushed himself onto his knees, shuddering as he felt a finger of ice trace down his spine. Where was he? What was going on?

Suddenly, there was a sound like a match lighting, and the space around him abruptly lit up. He was in a large, round chamber with brownish red walls, lit by an array of hanging lights. It had an almost homey feel to it, the warm yellow light making shadows soft and indistinct.

"Where am I?" He asked, not having any qualms about asking aloud.

He felt strange, like he should feel safe here. But he didn't feel safe, he felt more like you do in a dark alley when you know someone is following you, but you're too afraid to turn around and see how close they've gotten.

He tried to shake these feelings off. Right now, he couldn't worry about that, he had to figure out why he was here. Wherever _here _was. Phantom pushed himself to his feet, wincing slightly as his joints complained. Yeesh, that really made him sound like a grumpy old man. He smiled at the image. Suddenly, an area of the wall lit up, displaying an image of a happy old man with children running around him.

Phantom stared at it, completely dumbfounded. It wasn't like the image in his head, but it seemed... _better _somehow. As he watched, a pair of what had to be brothers ran around the old man, playing tag and laughing with each other. The image stopped and zoomed in on one of the boys faces, his happy expression lit up in the afternoon sun. Without thinking, he reached his hand forward and pressed it to the image. It rippled like water, and he was suddenly overcome with an overwhelming sense of longing. It was so over whelming he thought he might die right there. He almost wished he could. He wanted it so bad, wanted it back.

Wanted _what _back? Phantom yanked his hand back like it had been burned, his vision blurry from tears he hadn't known were there. He glanced around and was startled to see that dozens of other images had popped up all around the room. The pictures varied in situation and person, each one causing more tears to stream down his face as emotions he couldn't connect tore through him. Anger at the portly man in a business suit, sadness at the old man with the boys, indignation at the tired woman.

It was too much. "Stop! Please!" He pressed his hands to his eyes, but he still saw the images, still felt like his heart might explode with all the emotion. "Why!? Why are you doing this to me!?" He started gripping his hair so hard it hurt, but the pain was virtually nonexistent next to the emotional trauma he was currently going through. It was the Nasty Burger explosion multiplied ten-fold, only this time he had no idea what was causing his pain. Phantom fell to his knees, now pressing his hands to the sides of his head, his soul feeling like it was being torn apart. Finally, he couldn't take the emotions any longer.

**"STOP!" **He roared, his voice bouncing off the walls and back around the chamber. The images shattered, their fragmented pieces tinkling to the floor like broken glass. Silence reigned for a moment, then Phantom was hit with an emotion so strong he fell over. It was the one he dreaded the most, the one that burdened him each and every day- guilt. Only this time, it was magnified like never before. At that moment, Phantom knew that something awful had happened to these people. Something bloody and gruesome, something unspeakably horrible. And he knew that it had been his fault.

Phantom's breaths came in ragged gasps, almost hurting as the air scraped down his throat. The shattered images scraped his palms as he began to stand, teeth clenched. He finally managed to get to his feet, legs shaking as he yelled, "Who are you!?" He angrily wiped the tears from his face. "Why are you doing this? Do you get a kick screwing with my head!?"

A laugh echoed through the space. It sent shivers down Phantom's spine, which wasn't easy to do considering his ghostly status.

"Oh, I do get a kick out of it." The voice came from the far side of the room, rasping and soft. Phantom turned toward it, his throat clenching with dread as he realized how familiar that voice was. "It's funny to watch you squirm." Phantom could now make out a shadowy figure, indistinct despite the sufficient light. "Of course, it would be better if you remembered, but I'll take what I can get."

"Who are you? Show yourself!" Phantom attempted to light up his hand with an ectoblast, but nothing happened.

The figure laughed again. "Oh, that won't work. Although I commend you on the effort."

"What do you want?" Phantom growled, curling his hands into fists. He'd gotten by without his powers before, he could do it again.

The figure started to laugh again, the sound grating on Phantom's nerves and patience with equal ferocity. "You really don't know! You really don't remember _anything_!" The figure suddenly stepped into the light, his voice growing colder. "Well, that makes things easier for me."

Phantom took an involuntary step back, his mouth dropping open. "What the heck..." He muttered, unable to comprehend what he was seeing.

Standing in front of him was a near exact copy of himself. The only differences were brown hair and eyes, and the blood splattered on his front and face. The thing grinned at him, licking its lips. "You have pretty eyes."

Phantom had no idea what to say to that. Eventually, he managed to say, "Who... whose blood is that?"

The Not-Phantom grinned wider, his face stretching grotesquely as his muscles stretched the skin farther than it was designed to go. "Oh, lots of people." The thing absently examined its fingernails. "It is _such _a hassle to get blood out of clothes. So I figured, why even try?" He grinned at Phantom. "I'm Nox, by the way."

Phantom just blinked. "Lots of people." He muttered, his brain not quite processing the implications of what Nox was saying.

Nox cackled again, pointing a pale finger at him. "Ha ha, you're even more clueless now than you were before! Ha ha ha!"

Phantom wasn't sure why it took so long to click, but suddenly he understood. And with a single realization, Phantom went from confused to royally pissed off. "You _murder _people!?"

Nox mockingly clapped his hands. "Brilliant Sherlock." He smirked at Phantom. "You want a gold star?"

Phantom took a step toward him, his eyes burning with cold fury. "I don't know who you are, but you're going down, you psychotic piece of-"

"You do realize that you're insulting yourself, right?"

Phantom's look changed to confusion. "What?"

Nox sighed. "I used to kill people all the time." His expression changed to one of longing. "Old, young, boys, girls-" Nox ran his tongue over his teeth. "So warm."

Phantom snorted in disgust. "You're sick."

Nox ignored him, scowling as he continued. "Of course, that was before you trapped me in this place."

Phantom wasn't sure what he meant by that, but he decided it was best to play along. "A person like you deserves to be stuck here forever."

"Maybe..." Nox mused. He turned toward Phantom, his smile returning. "But the gate swings both ways, Phantom."

Before Phantom could do anything, Nox ran at him with a feral screech. Nox's fingers lengthened and sharpened into claws as he moved, his teeth transforming into long fangs. Nox reached Phantom and swiped at him, Phantom only just managing to shield his face with his arm. Nox's claws sliced easily through the fabric, slashing four deep gashes into his forearms. Phantom jerked back, ectoplasm dripping off his arm as he tried to counterattack.

Nox crouched on the floor like a coiled snake, grinning at Phantom. Phantom couldn't understand why he wasn't attacking, when he heard a clatter behind him. _Clone! _A girls voice yelled, and Phantom whipped around just in time to have Nox slam into him.

Phantom hit the floor like ton of bricks, unable to do anything before Nox wrapped his clawed hands around his throat. Phantoms vision began to darken, and images began to flash before his eyes. They were like the pictures from before, but the figures in them were grotesque and bloody, their faces frozen in expressions of horror and disgust. Phantom tried to scream, his hand scrabbling on the floor for a weapon. He gripped large shard of image and lashed out, stabbing upward at Nox's face.

Nox screamed and leapt back, the jagged piece stuck deep in his eye. Phantom scrambled to his feet, choking as air flooded into his lungs. The figures still danced before him, their eyes dull and empty, bleeding from dark holes in their chests.

Phantom's attention was drawn back to Nox as the entity wheezed loudly. Nox reached up and yanked the piece out of his eye with a sickening scrape. He glared at the bloody piece before shifting his gaze to Phantom. Nox took a step toward him, but stopped when the entire chamber suddenly shook. Phantom almost fell, but managed to regain his balance just in time. He looked back up to see Nox glowering at him with hate in his eyes. "Clever boy." He spat, blood dripping off his face.

The room shook again, giant cracks spreading across the floor, one appearing directly between his feet. Phantom stumbled to the side as the floor jerked and shuddered, knowing he probably looked pretty ridiculous with his arms flailing like they were. He started to fly up, but something grabbed the front of his shirt. He looked down just in time to see Nox drive the shard of broken image into his abdomen.

Everything seemed to freeze. Phantoms mouth hung open, his body numb to what had just happened. Nox was grinning wider than ever, bright green liquid splashing over his face and teeth, almost neon against his pale skin. Nox's eyes had turned a bloody red, now glowing in the semidarkness the shaking had brought. Phantom chocked, something cold and acidic spilling over his lips. Ectoplasm?

All at once, everything was moving again. The floor collapsed, dragging both him and Nox into inky blackness. His stomach hurt, hurt so much. He could feel himself bleeding out, feel drops of ectoplasm splattering across his face as he fell. Fell into oblivion, nothing but Nox's laughter around him.

-Line break-

Phantom jolted upright, heart racing.

"Hey man, glad you're back!" Phantom looked at the person speaking, eyes wide as he began to register his real surrounding's. Stargirl was smiling at him, looking extremely relieved.

He was sitting in a bed with pristine sheets, the kind he'd begun to recognize as hospital tailored. As he glanced around, he could see that several of the other beds had recently been slept in.

"Wha- what happened? Where am I?" Danny asked, his voice stuttering slightly as he tried to make sense of everything that had just happened.

Stargirl shrugged carelessly, obviously just glad that Phantom was awake and kicking. "Meh, I don't really understand it. Something with the devil being shoved off his high horse and balance being disrupted." She yawned into her fist. "You know, normal stuff. As for where you are, we moved you and all the others to the hospital bay once you stopped thrashing."

Phantom's mind registered these words, but he didn't process their meaning. Had it all been a dream? Could his mind really have imagined something like what he'd just seen? What _had_ he just seen?

_Come on Phantom, think! _Phantom wracked his brain, trying to remember exactly what had happened. He had been listening to Flash talk, he had felt like he had eaten a tub of hot nails and acid, and then… he'd woken up in a round room with homey lighting and a psychotic version of himself? Had someone put drugs in his food?

Phantom was snapped from his thoughts by a glass waving in front of his face. He focused on it, registering what Stargirl was saying.

"-drink this. You sound like… well, like you've been screaming for several hours." Stargirl grinned at him like she had just made a fabulous joke, pouting when Phantom didn't laugh.

"Oh. Um, thanks." Phantom said, shakily taking the glass. He sipped from it, almost choking as the icy water slid down his throat. Now that he was drinking, he realized just how thirsty he was. In no time, he had drained the glass. He looked at it, disappointed that it was gone so fast.

His disappointment must have shown, because Stargirl took the glass from him. "I'll get you some more water, okay?" She smiled at him and left, leaving him alone to contemplate his thoughts.

"_Awwww, isn't that sweet?" _Phantom stiffened at Nox's voice, casting his eyes around the room in search of the killer. _"Too bad it won't last long. When she discovers the truth, she'll leave you. Just like everyone else in your existence."_

Phantom's eyes found a mirror across the room, and he nearly jumped out of his skin when he saw that the reflection wasn't his own. Nox was staring at him through the mirror, the sick smile back on his face. Phantom glared at him, swinging his legs over the edge of the bed, but making no move to stand. "What do you want?"

Nox tilted his head to the side, his neck cracking with the movement. _"Hostile toward me so quickly? I see that hasn't changed."_

"What do you mean, hasn't changed?" He folded his arms. "I don't even know you."

"_And yet you didn't question where you were and how you got there." _Nox mused. _"The moment you saw me, I was instantly top priority." _He winked at Phantom. "_Not that I mind, of course."_

"You were covered in blood." Phantom deadpanned.

Nox shrugged. _"Sure. But it was more than that, wasn't it? You knew that I was up to no good even before I showed myself."  
_

Phantom just glared. "You know what? I don't even care." He stood up. "You're evil, you murder people, so I have to stop you."

Nox pouted at him. _"That's a quick assumption. I'm very, __very__ hurt." _Then he smirked, letting out a slightly girlish giggle. _"Oh, who am I kidding? Of course I'm evil." _His face became contemplative. _"Though, I prefer the term 'malevolent'." _

Phantom took a step toward the mirror. "You think I give a crap what you prefer? I'm going to stop whatever you're planning."

Nox gave another one of those chilling laugh. _"Oh Phantom, don't you see? You can't stop what you are."_

"You keep saying things like that." Phantom waved his hand in annoyance. "Like we're friends or something."

Nox smirked. _"Not a __**friend**__. More of…" _He paused. _"A hated, forgotten acquaintance."_

Phantom, more confused than ever, started to ask, "What do you-"

"Hi again!" Stargirl made him jump. He hadn't heard her come in, and he suddenly wondered how much of his conversation she had heard. Looking around, he was relieved when he saw that she was only just coming in.

She grinned at him and jerked her head at the mirror. "What are you looking at?"

Phantom looked at the mirror, and wasn't as surprised as he thought he should be when he saw there was nothing but his reflection. "Um, nothing."

She smirked at him. "Riiiiiiight." She giggled and handed him the glass. "I get what you're saying."

Phantom gave her a nervous smile, lifting the glass to his lips. Of course, he wasn't focused on the water. He had had a thought during his conversation with Nox. Had his battle with Nox… been in his own head?

_Congratulations! You want a cookie?_

Phantom choked on the water, nearly spewing it everywhere as it caught in his throat. He managed to swallow it before breaking down in a coughing fit, Stargirl smacking his back. "Yeesh Phantom, don't hack your lungs out."

The coughing finally subsided, and Phantom managed a small laugh. "I'm not planning to."

Stargirl was grinning again. "Well good, cause everyone is worried about you. You slept longer than any of the others."

He smiled as well, trying to cover the fact that he had a disturbing voice in his head offering him cookies. "Well then, I guess we better go talk to them."

Stargirl nodded and started out the door, but Phantom paused a moment. His eyes darkened for a moment, and he purposefully thought, _I know you're there, Nox. I'm not scared of you. You might just be in my own head, but I __**will**__ stop you._

_I'm looking forward to watching you try. _Nox's voice purred, and Phantom knew that his life would be very interesting from now on.

**Me: So, was it good? Bad? Would you rather be eating pie? Please review and let me know! Also, tell me your favorite type of pie. And what are you guys being for halloween? Do you celebrate halloween where you live? And what should I be for halloween? I can't decide and-**

**Friend: Everyone left awhile ago.**

**Me: ...Oh. *Blushes* Well then, I guess I'll just eat my chicken pot-pie and watch 'Avatar the last air-bender'. Here's the esperanto translations.**

**Help me... It hurts.**

**Be your a cobbler, a king, or a street sweeper, we all dance with the grim reaper.**

**Can't sleep, can't thing- what's wrong with me?**

**It hurts- the blades- make it stops!**

**I'm sorry- I'm sorry Hannah! I tried not to, I'm sorry!**


	9. Debating

Sorry guys, but after consideration, I've decided to put this up for adoption. I appreciate everyone's confidence and support, but I can't even think about this story without getting stressed beyond belief. If you are interested in adopting, please private message me for plot details. Thank you, and goodbye.


	10. Chapter 10

Sorry guys, but after consideration, I've decided to put this up for adoption. I appreciate everyone's confidence and support, but I can't even think about this story without getting stressed beyond belief. If you are interested in adopting, please private message me for plot details. Thank you, and goodbye.


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